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IMDbPro

Family Life

  • 19711971
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 48m
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
1.9K
YOUR RATING
Sandy Ratcliff in Family Life (1971)
Drama
A family is shattered over the daughter's forced abortion. As she rebels against her family and their traditional, authoritarian, typical-of-the-time norms, she is hospitalized and otherwise... Read allA family is shattered over the daughter's forced abortion. As she rebels against her family and their traditional, authoritarian, typical-of-the-time norms, she is hospitalized and otherwise mistreated.A family is shattered over the daughter's forced abortion. As she rebels against her family and their traditional, authoritarian, typical-of-the-time norms, she is hospitalized and otherwise mistreated.
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
1.9K
YOUR RATING
    • Ken Loach
    • David Mercer(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Sandy Ratcliff
    • Bill Dean
    • Grace Cave
    • Ken Loach
    • David Mercer(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Sandy Ratcliff
    • Bill Dean
    • Grace Cave
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 14User reviews
    • 8Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award

    Photos46

    Family Life (1971)
    Family Life (1971)
    Family Life (1971)
    Family Life (1971)
    Family Life (1971)
    Family Life (1971)
    Family Life (1971)
    Michael Riddall in Family Life (1971)
    Grace Cave, Bill Dean, and Sandy Ratcliff in Family Life (1971)
    Grace Cave, Bill Dean, and Michael Riddall in Family Life (1971)
    Michael Riddall in Family Life (1971)
    Michael Riddall in Family Life (1971)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Sandy Ratcliff
    Sandy Ratcliff
    • Janice Baildon
    Bill Dean
    Bill Dean
    • Mr. Baildon
    Grace Cave
    • Mrs. Baildon
    Malcolm Tierney
    Malcolm Tierney
    • Tim
    Hilary Martyn
    • Barbara Baildon
    • (as Hilary Martin)
    Michael Riddall
    • Dr. Donaldson
    Alan MacNaughtan
    Alan MacNaughtan
    • Mr. Caswell
    Johnny Gee
    • Man in the Garden
    Bernard Atha
    Edwin Brown
    Edwin Brown
    Freddie Clemson
      Alec Coleman
      Jack Connell
      Ellis Dale
      Terry Duggan
      Rossana Garofala
        Muriel Hunte
        Jason James
          • Ken Loach
          • David Mercer(screenplay) (play "In Two Minds")
        • All cast & crew
        • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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        Storyline

        Edit

        Did you know

        Edit
        • Trivia
          Director Bille August cites "Family Life" as one of his greatest influences.
        • Quotes

          Mrs. Baildon: Well, this is the thing that baffles me, Doctor, um, she really was quite a model child, she was tidy, in fact, I used to go into her bedroom some mornings and it-it was so tidy, it really didn't look as if anyone had been in there.

        • Connections
          Featured in Versus: The Life and Films of Ken Loach (2016)
        • Soundtracks
          Down by the River
          (uncredited)

          Written by Neil Young

          Sung in the therapy group

        User reviews14

        Review
        Review
        Featured review
        7/10
        Who's making this code of living?
        Forced by her parents to abort her unborn child, a teenager suffers a nervous breakdown and is taken to a psychiatrist, but the effectiveness is limited as her parents refuse to accept blame in this unpleasant yet encapsulating human drama from Ken Loach. With a cast of non-professional and first time actors, Loach manages to elicit some very down-to-earth performances and there are several memorable moments throughout as the girl struggles to cop with her loss. At one point, she draws a replacement child on her stomach with tears coming out of its eyes; at another point, she takes to deliriously spray-painting plants and trees blue as a form of expression. The film loses focus at times though with side scenes in which the hospital staff debate whether her psychiatrist's unconventional approach to therapy is worthwhile. The dialogue is also a tad problematic as the psychiatrist tends to lecture the parents at length, however, the girl's mother and father are given several great lines, most notably a flippant "who's making this code of living?" in regards to 1970s permissiveness. Other memorable quotes include "everyone's a bit peculiar" and "control is the answer" as the girl tries to ascertain whether she knows best or her parents do. This in turn is where the key strength of the film lies: the struggle of a youth to become independent when all she has ever known is dependency on her parents.
        helpful•5
        1
        • sol-
        • Apr 11, 2016

        Details

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        • Release date
          • February 18, 1972 (Ireland)
          • United Kingdom
          • English
        • Also known as
        • Filming locations
          • Shenley, Hertfordshire, England, UK
        • Production companies
          • EMI Films
          • Kestrel Films
        • See more company credits at IMDbPro

        Technical specs

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        • 1 hour 48 minutes
          • Color
          • Mono

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